Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Rays Gameworks Party returns in 2010

How cool is it when you open something from your favorite baseball team and it is an invitation to an exclusive invitation only FREE night of food, fun and meeting and mingling with the players in a social setting. Well, it happened again today as I strolled to the mailbox and saw a nice envelope with the Tampa Bay Rays blue logo planted firmly in the left hand corner.

I was giddy with anticipation as I ripped that sucker open to find it had an invitation for the Rays Season Ticket faithful to again head to Centro Ybor for some fun. Again the Rays faithful would have the entire place to themselves on June 27,2010 from 6-10pm to play as many games and eat some tremendous food while also talking and speaking with some of the Rays players in attendance.

Earlier this year I wrote about the Gameworks parent corporation closing the video game and food emporium in Ybor City and was shocked and bummed out that we would not again get a chance to mingle with the Rays after that Sunday’s matinee game in a social setting. Well, I guess the franchisee’s who purchased the right to the location also came to another great agreement with the Rays to continue, for the third year, this exciting Rays tradition. But that wasn’t the only surprise I got that moment.

Steve Kovich/Rays

As I was reading the enclosed invitation, I noticed a familiar hat and shirt in a picture on the right side of the invitation. Yes, that is a picture of me sampling some of the wares from the multicolored chocolate fountain in the lower photo on the right side of the invitation. It kind of shocked me as that photo was taken by Rays photographer Steve Kovich back in 2008, and featured on the Rays home web site, but I thought it had disappeared into the mist.

But then again I do feel blessed all the time just to enter Tropicana Field every home game and see some amazing baseball and some awesome fans. And again the Rays Sales department has pulled off another kudos by getting our familiar Gameworks event back on track and set in stone for 2010. And I have already talked to one Rays player on the phone who is eager to again get his revenge on the “Dance, Dance Revolution” machine both at me, and another of his Rays teammates.

RRC

So you can be assured that I will again be trolling the video floors looking for some awesome games and also chatting with fellow Rays fans and players again. I am even thinking of getting my own “She-fan” camera to take snippets from the assembled crowd. Sure the addition of this fantastic event to the never-ending assembly of Rays activities that weekend from the musical hangover left over by the Train concert on Saturday night, combined with a afternoon game and ending with a 10 pm conclusion of this event will make for an extremely long day and early night, but well worth the tired eyes and aching muscles from the dance competition.

So as you read this I am submitting my RSVP for this event and look forward to see so many other enthusiastic Rays fans crowd the tore front again sampling great food, providing awesome experiences, and taking photos with their favorite players. It is just another example of how this Rays franchise, and their players are fan friendly and accessible to the fans…….all the time.

4 Comments

I love surprises in the mail like that! You deserve it. You do as much to promote and spread the good word about the Rays as anyone. Great job by the Rays on getting for photo involved too. The Rays are lucky to have you as a fan. And YES! – Get a She-Fan Cam.
mike

Peter,
I am far from famous….closer to the edge of idenity theft.
I have just been lucky to be in the right place at the right time in life…..a few times, and have reaped a few rewards because of it all.
I will never again have my photo attached to a newspaper article I wrote, or a story I penned after a long hard night.
But it is fun to be one of the Rays fans who do get a few moments every now and then….

Mike,
I am only doing what I enjoy, which is writing and following my team. So I got lucky enough to marry the two together in a sea of bliss….I think.
It is a grest exercise to keep my mind from dwelling on things that are out of my control beyond my mind’s eye.
As long as I have a team to cheer for, something to write about, and a forum for them both….I am as happy as a clam.

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